Pharmaceutical applications of lectins

Abstract

Oral delivery of drugs is the most convenient administration route. Since the Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT) represents a hostile environment for most of drugs, development of more sophisticated formulations are required to enhance drug absorption and reduce their adverse effects. Over the last few years, targeted drug delivery systems have been the object of intense investigation. Lectin-mediated drug targeting has been positioned as one of the most promising approaches for drug targeting because of its great specificity. Both direct and reverse lectin targeting studies has been analyzed, specifically those focusing on drug targeting to the intestine. This strategy is not only useful in intestinal diseases, but also provides an increase in the systemic absorption of drugs.